Rail-chair



w w who-z P88811888 Feb. 28-, 1888.

1.. WOLFE. RAIL CHAIR;

(No Model.)

' El witnesses- 3513 \L fll imy 4 Z 1 ugmphor, Washington, D r;

UNITED STATES PATENT Danica.

ISRAEL WOLFE, 0 GOSHEN, INDIANA.

RAIL-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,856, dated February 28, 1888.

Application filed May 17, 1887. Serial No. 238,522. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISRAELWOLFE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved rail-chair, showing the adjacent ends of two rails secured therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair with the removable block removed. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the movable chair. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the planeindicated by line at x, Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line y y in Fig. 4, and looking downward.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in a new and improved railway-rail chair, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the longitudinal base-plate of my improved rail-chair, which is of such a length that its ends rest upon, extend across two adjacent ties, B B, and are firmly secured upon the said ties by the ordinary spikes, G 0. Upon one side of the base-plate, upon the upper side thereof, is cast or rigidly secured the stationary cheek-piece or jaw D, the inner longitudinal head, D, of which extends in over the base-plate toward the center of the same,

of the base-plate, so that the base-plate proper is not weakened by the said opening. F indicatesthe movable or adjustable jaw,

which is formed with theinwardly-projectiug stem or base-piece, G, which is of such sizein cross section as to fit snugly within the transverse opening E in the casting E, and thelongitudinal head of the movable jaw is of such a form in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 4, as to fit closely over the base-plate A and the flange of the rail ends.

In operation, the baseplate A having been firmly securedby the spikes GO upon the two adjacent ties,the end of the base-piece G of the movable jaw may be inserted in the opening E from that side, but without pushing the said block closely in. The meeting ends of the rails H H are then placed on the base-plate A, tilting their ends so that their flanges will clear the heads of the spikes O O, and sliding the bottom flange on one side of the rail ends beneath the head of this stationary jaw D,so that the inner longitudinal part of the said stationaryjaw fits closely in against the web of the rail. The movable jaw is then pushed in position, so that the inner side of its longi- E; and in order to lock the adjustable jaw in this operative position a key, K, is slid down through the said vertical slot in that end of the stem or base-piece of the movable jaw fitting partly in the recess J, this key K having the two longitudinal slots K K formed in it near each side, as shown, so as to form the side tongues, K K at its lower end, and is formed at its upper end with an ordinary head, K and the key K is driven down through the slot I as far as possible, the body of thekey being made tapering, and when thus driven down its side tongues, K at its lower end are bent up and around, so as to lock the key in its operative position and prevent the possibility of its working out, thus securely holdingthe movable jaw in its adjusted operative position.

The inner longitudinal parts of the stationary and adj ustablc jaws are of such shape in cross-section that they rest both against the stem or web of the ends of the two rails, and also against the under side of the head of the rails and the top of the flanges, as clearly shown in the sectional. view, Fig. 4, of the drawings, thus giving great strength and holding the joint very iir1uly;and as the bottom of the casting E is preferably extended down so as to rest upon the ground, and the railjoint rests upon two ties instead of one, it will be seen that it is impossible for the joint to sink, or, indeed, for the two ties to sink, and that the joint is made exceedingly solid and firm and not liable to give in any manner.

The inner side of the stationaryjaw D is formed or provided with the two steps or projections L L, situated at the ends of the longitudinal head of the said jaw, one of the said stops thus being on each side of the center of the base-plate. That side of the flanges of the meeting ends of the rails have the square recesscs M M formed in them at a suitable distance from their ends, the length of these recesses being somewhat greater than the length of the stops L L, and when the ends of the rails are placed and secured in operative po sition within the rail-chairtllestops L fit within the recesses M in the rail-flanges, and as the said recesses are longer than the stops a cor lain amount of movement for expansion and contraction of the rails is provided for, as will be readily understood.

To remove the ends of the rails from the chair, all that is necessary is to straighten out the ends of the key K and drive it by a few blows from ahammcr up out of the slot I, when the movable jaw can be drawn out and the ends of the rails lifted out of the stationary jaw by tilting them so that their flanges will pass over the heads of the spikes O, the ends of the rails being thus drawn outsidcwise from the rail-chair.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. It will be seen that my improved rail-chair is exceedingly simple and strong in construction and dispenses with all holes in the rails, and all bolts and burrs, and that it forms an exceedingly strong and solid joint for the ends of the rails, while at the same time allowing for their expansion and contraction in heat and cold.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a rail-chair, the combination of a base plate adapted to be secured to two adjacent ties having the stationary jaws 1), formed with notch J, and having the casting E, formed with transverse slot E, with the movable jaw F, having the stem G, formed with transverse slot I, and the key K, fitting in notch J and slot I, and having the tongues K bent around the stem G from the sides of itslower portion, as shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISRAEL WOLFE.

\Vilnesscs:

CHAS. A. TURNER, l'sliao A. SIMMONS. 

